


Long way home

by NeverDyingRose



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Action/Adventure, Betrayal, Character Death, Cheating, F/M, Hurt, More tags to be added, Romance, Smut, Supernatural - Freeform, somewhat happpy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-08-16 16:34:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8109661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverDyingRose/pseuds/NeverDyingRose
Summary: It was never supposed to happen the way it did. Annabella was never supposed to mean Bobby Singer or the Winchester hunters. She was never supposed to be free of the shadows. But when a monster with a history with Annabella starts murdering hunters, Bobby has no choice but to ask for her help.And when Dean finds himself falling for the mysterious woman, will her secrets tear the world apart themselves? Or Will Dean tear them apart all by himself?





	1. One less Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was the only way it could end, brutally unfair and unshakable- unknown quote
> 
> This quote is the base of the entire thing so brace yourself :)

** Unfair Games **

 

There was only one thing I ever hated about being a hunter. Throughout my long career, broken bones and innocent casualties the one thing I absolutely despised was hiding the bodies.

It had taken me a solid 3 hours of digging, in the rain, in an abandoned graveyard, just to get rid of the body of a werewolf. I was caked in mud and sweat. My crimson hair stuck to my head in a wild halo and I had a feeling it would take me another hour to get the dirt out of my nails.

It was another hour before I crawled back into my hotel room. I was cursing my bad luck as I scrubbed a layer of my skin off in my shower when my phone beeped with a missed call. I frowned and checked the number. I didn’t recognize it but thankfully they had left a voicemail.

I turned off the boiling shower and wrapped a towel around my pale body. It wasn’t like anyone I knew to leave voicemails. If anyone wanted me, they called and called until they heard my voice. I dried off quickly and pressed play.

The breath caught in my throat as soon as the voice choked to life. He sounded so uncertain and hesitated in every word. He had once told me that calling me had been last resort… which is probably still was.  It was just like him to do anything else rather than put me in danger.

After all, it had been 6 months since I had last seen Bobby Singer. I loved the older hunter like a father and he had always been there to help me. But there was a reason I never joined other hunters for a job. There was a reason I was alone. Even Bobby, who I had known since he had investigated my parents’ mysterious deaths 12 years ago, knew not to invite me.

I’m not saying I wasn’t grateful. I had a good live. I was young, body toned and tanned,  and I lived in a beautiful 4 stories mansion away from the hustle and bustle of my city. 

I wouldn’t give it up for anyone besides Bobby.

As soon as his voice said he needed help, I was throwing my bags into my Mercades and I was on the highway within the hour. I hadn’t unpacked from my hunt so my bags were already full of clothes, provisions and weapons.

South Dakota was as backwards as I remembered it. The only thing which had changed was Bobby’s scrapyard had moved around slightly. His small cottage looked as inviting as ever. I could still fondly remember every time the older hunter had taken me in, nursed me, and guided me. I narrowed my eyes at my own reflection to make sure it was normal.

I wasn’t sure he would recognise me. My scars were gone now. I dressed in leather corsets and knee high boots which were handmade in Italy. But I remembered how desperate I had been the last time Bobby had saved me. I remembered him finding me bloody on his doorstep, begging for help.

I tucked my signature bowie knife into the holster tucked underneath my jacket and barged into the cottage.

Bobby automatically reached for his gun. I almost expected his two guests to shoot me on the spot. Bobby barely had time to recognise me behind my pilot sunglasses before I had the taller of his guests disarmed.  I threw down the weapon and raised an eyebrow.

“This is what I get for coming when called.” I sighed.

Bobby tossed his gun back into his holster and pulled me into a tight embrace. My arms hung awkwardly by my sides.

“It’s good to see you again, Bobby.”

“Goddamn it, Cat! What did I tell you about barging in a hunter?”

I shrugged my shoulders dramatically and studied the two strangers in the room. They were cut, I’d give them that. The blonde one checked me out without shame while the taller one with a mop of brown hair just looked confused.

“Focus on the fact that I dropped everything to be here. Who are they? Are they hunters?”

He turned towards the two men as if just noticing them for the first time. Before he could open his mouth, the blonde stepped forward and held out his hand.

“The name’s Dean Winchester.” He introduced with a flirty smile. “This is my brother, Sam. And you must be Arabella Cat? Bobby tells me you’re the best hunter he’s ever met.”

“Bobby flatters me too much.” I replied, shaking his hand briefly.

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Dean.” Bobby grumbled. 

Dean stepped back, hands raised in surrender.

“Why am I here, Bobby? I was in the middle of something.”

I took off my sunglasses and tucked them into my jacket pocket.

“Maybe we just wanted to meet you.” Dean said with a less than subtle wink.

“Nobody wants me, Dean. They need me for something.”

“We do need your help.” Bobby admitted. “What do you know of something called a tainted?”

The surprise must have shown on my face.

"A few years ago, I  hunted one. I thought I'd heard the last of them until last week. I’m guessing that’s not a coincident… how did you know?”

“Call it a hunch.” Sam answered.

“Whatever. I had a run in with a coven of vamps last week that had a couple of dozen of them nasty fuckers in. Trouble is, half of them are hooked on tainted blood so they know how to play with your mind. It’s next to unheard of for the two of them to mix. That was my only run in.”

Bobby scratched his beard and said, “Have you ever know about these tainted?”

“Supposedly they're descendants from angels, corrupted by mortal desires. All I know for sure is that they're organised, smart and fucking strong.”

He nodded over to large a4 photos dotted around the coffee table. I pushed past the two brothers and kneeled down to examine the photos. Something stirred inside me as the slight contact with Dean. Despite both of us wearing jackets, I could have sworn I felt goose-bumps right on my arm.

I forced myself to focus more on the sketchy photos. They were blown up to the point it was grainy. They were clearly taken by a cctv camera. My confusion soon turned into worry. Then came the fear.

“Jesus H. Christ! There are…vampires following a herd of tainted? Jesus, there must be dozens of them! Is it a goddamn conference? This is-”

“Impossible?” Dean suggested. “Good job we make our living on killing the impossible.”

“So these are all _congregating_?”

“More like forming a gang.” Bobby said carefully.

 I could tell he was hiding something from me. Bobby never was good at keeping secrets.

“Go on.”

“15 hunters have turned up dead within 2 weeks. They’re hunting us down like animals and there’s only so many one hunter can take down at once. They’re willing to reveal themselves for some reason. Even knowing it can’t end well-”

“Is Mary ok?” Worry added a dangerous edge to my words.

He didn’t need to answer. He bowed his head and refused to make eye contact. Tears threatened to spill from my traitorous eyes. The breath left my body in a rush, leaving me blindsided. I spun around and leaned against the coffee table. Dean placed a hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off.

“How?” I finally asked.

“Cat-”

“Tell me!” I ordered.

Bobby took a shaky breath and I could tell it was hurting him almost as much as it hurt me. A bitter part of me wanting to scream and rage. It was my grief and mine alone. No one else should get to share it with me.

“They ambushed her at a diner. She managed to get every citizen out and take down 5 of the creatures before she was… taken down.”

“Where’s her body?”

“We gave her a hunter’s funeral.” He stated. “I’m sorry, Artemis.”

I can’t remember the last time he had used my real name. Mary had told him my name was cat when we first met and it had stuck since. A hunter’s funeral was supposed to be a comfort. I scoffed and shook my head. She died surrounded by enemies, no doubt in terrible pain, and was put to rest by strangers. Nothing could comfort me right now.

“Did you call me here to tell me that or was there something else?” I said from behind clenched teeth while I could still stop myself from breaking down.

“You’re the only hunter I know who can take a vampire coven. Hell, you’re the only one who knows anything about tainted.” Bobby continued. “If we can find a way in, we can take them down from the inside.”

“We?” I laughed mockingly. “I don’t work well with other hunters.”

I pushed my sunglasses back on and strutted out to my car. The warm night air was a welcome relieve. My heart still pounded, trying to escape my chest, but a few gulps of fresh air stopped the shivers. Bobby had rushed after me. His insistent calling of my name was easy enough to ignore.

“Tell your friends it was nice to meet them but I hope I don’t ever see them again. I don’t get along with other hunters and you know it, Bobby.”

Before I could open my driver door, an iron grip wrapped around my arm and forced me to spin around.

“What the hell!”

“Listen here, princess.” Dean said perfectly calm. “I didn’t drive all the way here for you to snub us like yesterday’s trash. You don’t like hunters- fine. Besides the fact that you’re walking sex, you’re a bitch and I’m not jumping up and down at needing your help. But you’re staying.”

“Is that so?” I said, crossing my arms.

“For two reasons, princess- 1, you can’t take down an entire army by yourself and I know that’s what you’re thinking. 2- Safety in numbers.  So far these guys have only gone after hunters when they’re been by themselves. If you walk away now, I can guarantee yours will be the next pyre I’ll be building.”

At the end of Dean’s argument I’m pretty sure my mouth was hanging open. It had been years since anyone had ordered me to do anything. I narrowed my eyes at him, daring him to look away, but eventually it was me who was stared down.

“You and I aren’t going to get along, are we?”

He gave a small smirk which was quickly growing on me. Even I struggled not to smile back.

“I always prefer angry sex anyway.”

“If, and that’s a big _if,_ I stay… there has to be ground rules. And these ground rules do not get broken ok?”

Sam quickly stepped forward and shook hand with me before his brother could say anything stupid.

“Deal.”

Bobby slammed his beefy arms around the brothers, making them look like some sort of dysfunctional family. I winced at the fleeting feeling of being left out.

“Didn't I tell you she would help?”

“It’s a long flight back to New Orleans anyway.”

Bobby raised his eyebrows in confusion. “You live in New Orleans?”

“Yes. Not all of us want to live in motel rooms. Besides, I have a wine cellar there.”

Sam looked uncomfortable and pushed back his mop of hair. A bead of sweat tickled down his neck. I’m not sure if it was because of the humid night or my overbearing presence.

“I’m sorry about your friend.”

“She wasn’t my friend.” I smiled without the slightest hint of humour. “She was my sister.”

“We’ll get the monsters that did this.” Bobby stated.

“I have no interest in revenge. I wasn’t interested when my parents were murdered and I’ll be damned if I care for it now. First ground rule is that is the last I want to hear about her. I don’t give a fuck about her. I’m here for you Bobby and it’ll be a cold day in hell when I let a posy of fangs scare me away from hunting.”

I jumped into my car, hiding my changing eye color behind glasses, and started the engine. The car purred to life and came alive under my touch.

“You need some company?”

“I’m good. I need to pick up some things from a contact and  he hates hunters as much as I do.”

Bobby mumbled something to Dean which made him step away. I silently thanked the older hunter and swerved out of the tiny driveway. Something about the Winchesters sent a shiver down my spine. I wish I could say it was a bad thing.

 

 


	2. Shiqquts

 

_ **chapter 2- Shiqquts** _

 

* * *

 

 

My familiar haunting grounds were far from busy. I pulled into the first parking space outside the massive building and walked inside without second thought to being followed. A wave of calm had already washed over as the cool building welcomed me inside. It almost seemed wrong for me to be at peace inside a holy place. The crimes I had committed… I was sure it was a sin for me to be inside a church. I kept my head down and avoided the curious glances from the pewters. I slide into the confession box and gently eased the door closed.

I crossed myself and said a quick prayer.

“Bless me father, for I have sinned. I know it’s been a while since my last confession but I’ve been lost.”

The elderly priest didn’t speak for a solid moment. He had always been elderly for as long as I had known him. Many he was born fresh of womb with a head of silver hair and a patient smile.

“What troubles you, child?”

“I keep a secret and I’m scared I might have committed too many sins to be forgiven.”

“’According to thy mercy remember thou me, for thy goodness' sake’. Nothing is past our father’s forgiven.”

“This is different. I lost control yesterday. I attacked a person and they barely survived. I don’t feel bad about it. They were bad and they deserved it but I could always be in control. The more powerful I am, the more I can feel the curse getting anger. It’s tired of being in the dark, locked inside, and I can feel it getting restless.”

“Have you prayed, child? Your father in heaven will never put you through more than you can bear. With a little faith, anything is possible.”

I shook my head as if he would see me in the darkened confession box.

“I need something more than _faith._ I need control.”

Without another word, the priest left the confession box. I followed him, scanning around the few church goers. I had never noticed him walk with a hunched back before.

He led me up a steep wooden staircase that reeked of damp. We passed a dozen more Jesus’ nailed to stakes than I was comfortable with.

“Father?”

He didn’t reply. He hobbled along and pushed open an ancient wooden door.

“Close the door after you.”

“You’re not planning on killing me, are you?” I asked, only half joking.

He chuckled and switched on the lights. The light bulbs flickered in a weak struggle but didn’t fail. A couple of years ago I could have negotiated the room in complete darkness, having only my instincts to guide me. The musk smell itself should have been enough for me to find what I was after.

“Thank you. I’m sorry but I need one more favour… I…”

“I know, child.”

He nodded and left me alone with a carry on case.

I worked quickly stuffing the case with chains, throwing knives, holy water and bandages. The weapons I needed against vampires were safety tucked in my car and these were for a different kind of monsters.

 They were for me.

“Arabella?” The priest called out, letting himself into the room. “I would like you to meet Sister Mary.”

I turned around and offered my most disarming smile. The nun must have been younger than me by a couple years. If she hadn’t been hidden behind a habit, she might have been beautiful. Her make-up free face made her brown eyes brighter. She glanced around in confusion and nervousness.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry if I dragged you away but I wouldn’t keep you.”

“It’s fine. Father Petrov tells me you’re a benefactor of the church.”

I smiled again and even the priest seemed impressed at how easy it was to stay the sister under my influence. I held my hand out to her and she gladly took it.

“You can stay that. My parents built this church and my family money keeps it running. But I only care about you right now. Here, in this moment, you are my world.”

The sister’s cheeks blushed something fierce.

“That is all I want.”

“I’m told it doesn’t hurt.” I purred. “It feels like coming home from a storm.”

“I… I want to come home to you.” The sister said with a slight slur.

I trailed my fingers along her neck, hesitating over her racing pulse.  I would have to feed soon or her eyes would start to become hazy. After that, it wouldn’t be as easy to stay in control. Kissing her pale skin, I latched my mouth onto her throat and dug my teeth through her flesh.

In case you were wondering, I have no interest in her blood. My feeding was different from vampires. If you looked closely, a thin trail of steam was leaving the sister’s body and I was lapping it up. Her eyelids fluttered and she moaned as my fingers gripped her side, pulling her closer. This was the only time I felt human again. The sister’s emotions washed over- her fears, love, joy and everything in between- and my hunger slowly calmed.

Begrudgingly, I released her and kissed her gently on the cheek.

“Thank you.” She said gingerly.

I smiled as I showed her out the door.

“Are you sure she won’t remember anything?” The priest questioned.

“Oh, she’ll remember some details. She’ll remember meeting a beautiful stranger who made her feel complete and at peace. Even if I had killed her, she would never have been so happy.”

I slide my sunglasses back in place and walked with him out of the church.

“I never understood how a person could allow themselves to be drained of all emotions.”

“I promise you, father, all my victims die spent their last minutes experience exquisite pleasure.”

And that was something I could never share with Bobby. My beauty was nothing but a lure. My body was perfect in the same way a Venus flytrap is colourful- to attract victims. My parents had both been cursed with the same thirst, trapped in their own bodies. The difference is, they stopped viewing themselves as monsters and become foolish. They had trusted a hunter who had seen them for what they were and murdered them.

To that day, the only thing I knew about their killer was his name was John.

“Can you please stop leaving bodies in my kitchen?”

 

I barely glanced up from my newspaper at Bobby’s comment. When I did look up, mainly to tell everyone to shut up, I burst out laughing. Stood by the back door, looking like kids caught with their hands stuck in cookie jar, Sam and Dean stayed silent at they listened to Bobby ramble. The older hunter glared at the beaten body dumped on his nice clean floor before crossing his arms in disapproval.

 

“I think it’s like when cats bring in dead birds to show their owners that they’re loved.” I offered without taking my eye of the sports section.

 

“It’s better than what you’ve got, princess.” Dean replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “We found this sucker trying his luck in a bar not far from a known nesting site. Should give us something, right?”

 

I frowned at the easiness of it all. This kind of thing rang all sorts of warning bells and my instincts kicked in.

 

“So you’re saying that the exact thing you were looking for just happened to be in a package just waiting for you?” I asked. "Fucking brilliant detective work, guys."

 

Sam rubbed the blooming bruise on his eye and gingerly cringed.

 

“He didn’t come without a fight.”

 

“Well, this is the most obvious trap.” I said, rolling my eyes.

 

“Don’t matter.” Dean said. “You’re not invited anyway.”

 

Bobby huffed and muttered something under his breath, a habit I hadn’t noticed before then.

 

“If you guys are finished comparing dicks, dump this guy in the cellar and I’ve have a word with him.”

 

I exhaled in exaggeration, threw down my paper and jumped up from my spot. I grabbed the vampire’s head while Dean and Sam helped with the legs. He was heavier than he looked and the cellar stairs were steep but eventually we dropped him on the cold stone floor of the basement. Sam threw me some silver chains which I caught with luck.

 

I didn’t know my shirt had traveled up while I was chaining our guest to a large rusty pipe until Sam noticed.

 

“Nice tattoo.” He mumbled.

 

I looked at him, clueless, as he pointed to my side. A blush colored my cheeks and I quickly patted my shirt down to cover it back up.

 

“Thanks.” I said curtly. “Do you think Bobby will be alright will him like this?”

 

“You’ve tussled him up like a pig so yeah. What does that say in the middle of your tattoo?”

 

“It’s Latin.” I lied. “It means forgiveness.”

 

Thankfully my phone rang at the moment and dragged me away from the conversation. I made a mental reminder to wear tighter corsets which I knew wouldn’t roll up. I answered my phone away from the brothers’ ears.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Where are you?!” The male voice was dripping with desperation and anger. 

 

“I’m away at a friend’s for a while, my love.” I replied sweetly.

 

“How could you do this, you bitch!”

 

He had clearly been drinking. I held the phone away from my ear as he threw out a load of slurred abuse.

 

“Shh, sweetheart.” I cooed. “We’ll talk about this when I get home.”

 

“You fucking traitor! How could you betray your own people? I’m going to fucking kill you!”

 

“Oh, honey. I’ll be back before you know it.”

 

I ended the call before he could carry on with himself. All the insults, the hurt in his voice, was easily ignored. It wasn’t the first time I had been called a traitor and it wouldn’t be the last.

 

Causing hurt- betraying- it was all simply my nature.

 

* * *

 

 

As soon as Artemis had left the cellar, phone pressed to ear, Sam nudged his brother and pulled him into the corner.

 

“Did you see that tattoo?”

 

“Hell yes. Do you think she has any more anywhere else?”

 

Sam shook his head and narrowed his eyes. He dug his elbow into Dean’s stomach and earnt an exaggerated pained groan.

 

“So what?” Dean said, finally sounding somewhat interesting. “She has a tattoo of a pentagram. We do too. It means protection right?”

 

“I don’t mean that. That writing inside of it, it didn’t look like ink to me: it was a brand.”

 

Dean straightened up, a light in his brown eyes.

 

“You’re saying someone _branded_ her?”

 

Sam nodded grimly. “And that brand doesn’t mean forgiveness. I know Latin and that doesn't even look remotely like it! Do you have dad’s book?”

 

Dean pulled out the thick leather notepad from his jacket and dropped it in Sam’s waiting hands. Sam leafed through the pages until he stopped dead in the middle. He held the page up to the flickering basement light so they could both see it.

 

The same symbol he had seen on Arabella’s skin stared back at him from the page.

 

"None of this makes sense. Might as well be klingon." Dean moaned.

 

“It’s Hebrew.” Sam read out loud. “ _Shiqquts._ It means exceptionally forbidden, sinful and unclean. It says dad ran into the same brand a few years back on a man and woman. It doesn't say what happened but the word, roughly,  translate into abomination."

 


	3. Magnets

** Magnets **

**** Let go, we can free ourselves of all we've learned  
I love this secret language that we're speaking  
Say it to me, let's embrace the point of no return

** - _Magnets_ by Lorde **

 

****

The brothers came out of the cellar soon after me. I caught a glimpse of Dean placing a familiar leather book into his jacket pocket but I didn’t pay much attention to them. My hands were slightly shaking and I could feel a migraine brewing at the back of my head. I focused on stopping the gentle shaking.

“Are you alright there, kid?” Bobby asked with concern. “You don’t look well.”

“I’m good." I replied, a half smile on my lips. "Maybe I’m just getting too old for this business.”

He laughed and the warmth of it brought a genuine smile to my lips. He glanced up at the brothers and again I felt a twinge of envy at the attention suddenly being drawn away from me.

“You guys can hold out here while I get what we need from this guy.” Bobby instructed.

It worked for me. If

I watched him leave before I turned to Sam.

“So how come Bobby has never mentioned you two to me?”

“Well, we... tend to live on the road. Never much liked staying in one place too long.”

“Now there’s a shock. You look like someone who belongs in a library at Harvard.”

He grinned sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s the family business.”

“I know what that feels like.” I said. “Do you know what the best part of family is, Sam? Eventually they die."

There was a pregnant pause till I broke the silence by laughing.

“Well, while we’ve got time on our hands…” Dean said with a smirk.

I tilted my head to the side and smiled. Shock covered his face as I tenderly stroked his cheek.

“I’m going to grab the bottle of whiskey from my car, get a nice warm shower and then grieve my sister’s death. _And_ I’m going to do all of this alone.”

If disappointment had a face, it would be Dean’s in that moment.

 

One glass soon led to three. The whiskey was strong and burnt just that right amount. After a few glasses, I stopped tasting it and started draining it. Before I knew it, I was lying on my back on Bobby’s porch and studying the glistening stars. My foot tapped to a beat that had been stuck in my head for hours and my eyelids were staring to get heavy. A shadow drifted over my head but it wasn’t hard to recognize it.

I closed my eyes and savored the last moments of quiet.

“I thought you’d be in your room.”

“It’s a nice night though. Nothing like moonlight to help drown your sorrows."

I poured him a drink without asking and passed it to him. It was a good brand, imported straight from the hills of Scotland, and half of it was gone already. Dean sat down besides me and drank quietly.

“Hard to believe she’s gone as well. I always figured she'd outlive him.” I said, more to myself than Dean.

He didn't ask who 'he' was and I didn't tell.

“What was she like?”

I put my tongue in my cheek and shrugged.

“She was always stupidly optimistic. It must have been a great shock to her when she was killed.”

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, unsure where to go from my weird humor.

“Were you close?”

“She was killed thousands of miles away- alone- and I found out about it a week later by a hunter. What do you think?”

“I didn’t mean it that way.” Dean said defensively.

I sighed heavily and poured him another drink as an apology.

“I’m sorry. It’s still a touchy subject at the moment. My sister and I had… disagreements. She was rash and headstrong and she always called me proud and self-righteous. She was always stupidly honest.”

He chuckled softly.

“I know the feeling. Younger siblings, hey?”

I shrugged and drained my drink. It dawned on me that I didn’t have any younger siblings left. I had no younger siblings left to kill. I slammed the glass down harder than I meant to and stood to leave on shaky legs. I had already drunk too much and I felt a warming sensation in my chest I didn’t like.

“Did I say something wrong?” Dean asked, his hand innocently holding my arm to stop me leaving.

I glanced down at the restrain in confusion. I knew I shouldn’t be feeling this connection between Dean and me but I couldn’t hide the blush to my cheeks.

“You have no idea who I am, Dean. If you did, you would stay far away.”

“I don’t know about that.” He proudly stated. “I’ve never been one to run away.”

A loud cough interrupted us. Both of us turned at the same time.

“If you two lovebirds are done, I’ve got us a nest.”

 


	4. One more problem

** One More Problem **

 

* * *

 

It was never a bad thing to hear you had one less hunter to worry about. I avoided them like the plague on the best of days. For once, I would have been happy to be going on a hunt with as many professions as possible.

Unfortunately, Bobby was never one to give into my begging.

“You guys will be fine without me. I’m too old for this, Cat.”

I hadn’t noticed him getting old. Wrinkles had always lined his face and his hair had long stopped being a mane. He took me to the side while Dean and Sam moved my bags from my car into the house.

“Listen, Cat. I know we’ve seen differently a lot but is something different about this? I've never seen you hesitate before jumping into a fight.”

“Do you remember when I jumped into that pit of scorpions to save that girl? I climbed out used bard wire and, when I reached the top after an hour, you asked me if there was actually anything I was scared of. There wasn’t then but that was before I faced a tainted.” I whispered as I wrapped my arms around myself. “They’ve got the ability to manipulate your thoughts… make you remember things differently.”

He frowned. “You saw something from your past you didn’t like?”

“I saw a lot of things I could have lived without.”

A giant arm wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me further away from Bobby. I went as rigid as a rock and immediately tried to shrug away my captive.

“Are you guys backing out already?”

I crossed my arms over my chest.

“I’m just pointing out the fun fact that this is the worse plan in the world. Are we just gonna barge in there and start shooting?”

“That’s how we roll.” Dean replied with a childish grin.

“You’re impossible!” I exclaimed.

A flicker in the corner of my eye caught my attention a second too late. Sam had my trunk propped open and a bulging grey bag in one hand. The zip end was only slightly undone but it was enough. I rushed past Dean and scrambled to Sam.

Too late.

  
With a massive smash, a dozen bottles shattered onto the cold ground. Sam stared down in shock at the liquid eating into the solid ground immediately. Bubbles and deadly spit burst from the ground. I grabbed him by his coat collar and dragged him away before the liquid could go anywhere near him.

  
“Fuck me! Jesus, don’t touch anything!” I ordered as I snatched the bag from him.

Not a single bottle could be saved. Every single one had shattered into a million pieces and the dangerous liquid inside had already burnt a hole in the ground.

“What the hell is that?” Sam exclaimed.

“Acid.”

“What are you doing with acid?”

“What are you doing without acid? That’s the real question.”

Sam looked down as my fingers hovered over the deadly bubbles. I knew it would dissolve my skin but it killed me not reaching down to touch it. Call it a morbid curiosity. Bobby’s fingers dug into my shoulder and turned me back towards the car, as if reading my thoughts.

“Don’t worry about that. Right now, you guys need to get rid of those vamps and get back here in one piece, ok?”

I nodded and climbed into the back seat of Dean’s impala.

Bobby turned and muttered something to Dean who nodded in agreement.

I could only imagine he was warning him not to mess with me too much.

 


	5. Silence

 

** Silence **

 

* * *

 

 

I drifted in and out of sleep on the drive over to the nest. With my bowie knife comfortably in my hand and Dean’s smooth driving, I couldn’t help but close my eyes. Dean checked me out in the rear-view mirror, oblivious to the fact that his brother was sat right besides him.

“So what do you do when you’re not hunting?”

I frowned and my hand automatically drifted to the chain hanging around my neck.

“Bobby didn’t tell you?”

Sam shrugged.

“He said you were a private person.”

Private didn't cover it. There was things Bobby knew about my private life that he didn't want to know and there was things he would never know. But I knew Bobby trusted these hunters the few things he did know.

“Right.” I scoffed. “He was always ashamed of what I’ve become.”

I could feel Dean’s eyes burning into me but I kept my glare focused on outside the car window.

“I’m sure he was just respecting your privacy.”

“Bobby doesn’t care about my _privacy._ He and I had a falling out a few years back when he found out that I do… somewhat illegal work as my main career.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m a freelancer.” I said slowly. “Bobby found out when I joined his hunt because the target was someone I was being paid to kill. He wanted to take it in alive and I couldn’t let that happen.”

“So you kill monsters for people?”

“No. I kill people for people."

Dean swerved and barely managed to keep control to stop the car from going into a wall. Elisa gripped onto her seat like a lifeline.

“What the hell!” I shrieked.

“Nothing!” He said quickly. “Just… you’re odd for an assassin.”

“Oh, come on.” I huffed. “There are over 400 assassins in the world who are still alive and active. There’s no way you’ve already met all of them and think I’m the only odd one.”

Sam smiled. The small gesture was a welcome change to Bobby’s disguised reaction.

“I’ve never met an assassin.”

“That’s probably for the best. There’s some weirdos out there. I once knew a hitman who kept the tongues of his victims as trophies.”

I shivered dramatically.

As Dean’s speed gradually increased and we passed into a forest where the trees faded into a blur outside my widow, my fingers ghosted over my weapons in a check I had done so many times. My handguns were tucked in my thigh holsters and the bullets were blessed by a witch doctor. My old trusted weapon, a silver bladed bowie knife, couldn't come out it's sheath until I had a kill ready. It was an aged weapon but still was as sharp as the day it was made especially for me. Even my initials were carved into the silver blade.

“Can you hear anything?”

The question caught me off guard. I stayed silent with my eyebrows creased while I waited for an explanation.

“I can hear you talking as usual, Sammy.” Dean muttered as he slid a handgun into a thigh holster.

Sam shot him a look and turned to me.

“Can you hear any birds or wind? It’s like the life has just gone out of this place.”

Focusing now, I could hear the lack of life. The silence was heavy and isolating. There was no night birds’ songs, wind blowing trees or even a breeze.

It was dead.

It was suffocating.

“You’ll take the back with Sam.” Came Dean’s order. “I’ll go round front-”

“Not going to happen.”

Dean paused with his gun still half tucked in his shoulder holster.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re both idiots. However between the two of you, you might be able to get out of this trap alive. We can’t just go in guns blazing. If there’s a tainted controlling these vamps, they are going to be faster, stronger, more powerful and smarter than you’ve dealt with before. I’ll go in first. If there’s a tainted there, he’ll come after me. After 10 minutes, come in from the back. You’ll have to take the vamps.”

“Hang on. What makes you so sure the tainted will come after you and you won’t be overrun by vamps?”

“You’ll just have to trust me.”

“I’m not going to let you storm in there-”

“This isn’t a discussion.” I interrupted. “You asked for my help so this is how we do it.”

It came out more harshly then I meant but the silence was concerning. It made me itch and fidget and just want to make some sort of sudden movement. There was two occasions when I had that kind of silence surrounding me and neither ended well. 

 


	6. Won't be Afraid

** Chapter 6- Won't be Afraid **

* * *

 

“What do you think she’s doing?” Sam mumbled with as he jammed a lock pick into his mouth while he fiddled with the warehouse’s rusty lock. “She seemed like she doesn’t want us following. You think she’s got some sort of personally grudge against those tainted things?”

“She’s looking for something.” Dean replied. “Or someone, at least.”

“You think the tainted or the vamps took someone she knows?”

Dean shrugged and nudged past Sam so he could take the lead. Sam shook his head but didn't say anything. Gun raised and loaded with silver bullets dipped in dead man’s blood, the older brother went to the left and Sam went to the right.

Normally, Sam would have mentioned how quiet it was it. He would have noticed the smell of blood in the air. But considering how silent it had been since they had stepped out the car, he guessed Dean was already suspicious.

“This place giving you the creeps too or is it just me?” Dean whispered.

Sam didn’t reply. Voicing it, admitting fear, felt like it would give it power. And the darkness already seemed to breath.

 

As Sam tracked his way through the deteriorating building, I silently followed. I kept to the dark corners and hide against the shadows. Unlike Sam, the building didn’t creak or groan under my footsteps. My guns and knife was shafted. I knew there was no one there to attack me. The place was too quiet, like Dean had helpfully pointed out. There was no death in the air anymore but it still hung silently in the fringes.

That and the pool of blood gave the tainted away. My eyes widened as I crept along the floor and knelt besides the stain. Tiny droplets had been left on the floor in a neat circle. There was no way it had been spilled. Tiny symbols have been drawn into the blood with painstaking clarity. My hand ghosted over the top of the evil looking symbols and a frown creased my face. I could only hope it had been some poor animal and not the grim alternative. The tainted smell wouldn’t leave the building anytime soon. The sickly and corrupted smell, like burning poison, would never leave the building.

After a moment, I stood back up and strolled down the stairs to where I heard the younger brother stumbling around like a giant moose.

Despite the lack of subtlety, I couldn't bring myself to hate the hunter. He was bookish, bold and talked too much but maybe it was his sad eyes. Maybe they reminded me off Mary... no. I wouldn't think of her now.

The brothers made so much noise it was clear there was nothing there to attack them, if there ever was. The top floor was exactly the same. If there was ever any tainted there, they had long abandoned the building.

“There’s no one here.” I finally announced, stepped free from the shadows. “They left in a hurry.”

Sam’s eyes widened and he swung his gun around to point at me. I raised my hands, a smirk on my lips. In a second, Dean was at his side.

“Feeling twitchy?” I laughed.

“How the hell do you know they left in a hurry?”

“There’s symbols painted in blood on the floor upstairs."I explained. "Tainted believed their God only accepts blood sacrifices but this one is only half done. No self-respecting tainted would disrespect their God unless they got seriously spooked.”

“Judging from what you’ve told us, I can’t imagine them getting scared of anything.”

A vibrating in my pocket drew my attention away. I glanced down at the name flashing on my phone’s screen.

“There are things which scare everyone.” I replied before I answered the call.

“What the hell is going on in there?” Bobby shouted down the phone. “What the hell is happening in there? I’ve got your fancy heat tracker on and I was worried.”

A frown set into my face. “What do you mean? There’s no one here.”

“Yeah, there is. There’s heat coming from everywhere around you!”

“Are you sure it’s not just me? I am incredibly hot.” When silence was my answer, I changed my question. "Are the heat spots moving?”

Bobby paused. “It looks like they’re just stood there.”

“If you were going to hide bodies, where would it be?” I asked in the brother’s general direction.

Sam stomped his floor on the creaking wooden floor. It echoed back at him in a high pitched bang. We were both thinking the same thing- there was only one perfect place to hide bodies.

 

First went Dean. He strode forward like he was invulnerable. He didn’t seem to care how many times I hissed when his boots hit the floor too hard. In the corner of my eye, a shift of light flashed by the cellar wall. I paused at the top of the steep stairs, hand touching the wall. In the second it took me to spin around, the shadow was gone. Sam raised his eyebrows at me but I ignored him.

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and let my eyes adjust to the darkness. Sam was ignorant of the overpowering smell of taint as was Dean. Unfortunately, my body did recognise the smell and knew just how to react. Hand clutching my stomach, I fought back the urge to vomit.

“Everything alright, Cat?” Sam asked.

“Fucking peachy.” I whispered harshly as I swallowed a sickly burning at the back of my throat.

He opened his mouth to ask something else but Dean cut him short.

“I don’t think I can be shocked anymore.” Dean confessed. “But this is sick even for monsters.”

I couldn’t describe the sight as shocking. I had been in vampire covens and seen torture chambers of werewolves- nothing could shock me.  The sight was sadistic but not shocking.

The rusty chains dangling from the roof weren't there to shock. Neither was the bodies hanging uselessly from the chains like puppets. I heard Dean gasp that some were still alive with no bite marks. That didn’t shock me either.

It repulsed me.

I rushed to the first body. She was a girl who couldn’t have older than 16 and whose legs were covered in purple bruises. I placed my forefingers under chin and gently tilted her head to the side. As soon as I was sure she wasn’t going to turn on me, I wrapped the chains in my fist and yanked them as hard as I could. The chains, along with a chunk of roof, snapped free and clattered to the floor. The girl helplessly dropped into my arms.

By the time Sam and Dean had released the three other victims, I had already freed the other dozen. Only one of them had been drained. There was an elderly man who looked like he might not survive the standing but he nodded faintly when I asked if he was ok. One of the girls had attached herself to Dean’s waist and refused to loosen her grip. Everyone else was either in shock or too exhausted to do anything else besides wait for their saviours to say something.

If my heart wasn’t ready to pound straight out of my chest, my phone bursting to life did it. I had never dread seeing Bobby’s name as much.

“I’m a bit busy right now.” I huffed, supporting the girl’s weight against my shoulder and pressed the phone to my ear. “So if this is about your missing gin-”

“You’re about to get busier.” Bobby said in a rush. “There’s a dozen heat signals ready to surround the place right now.”

“Fuck!” I shouted too loudly, earning a shocked look from the brothers. “Which exit?”

“What part of surrounded didn’t you register?”

“I mean which one has the most!”

“Front.” Bobby answered.

I cursed a few more times before I shoved my phone into my pocket and whispered sharply. Dean turned around in a flash and I pushed the girl into his arms.

“Bobby says about a dozen vamps are heading our way now.”

The slight lie came naturally to me. The brothers looked at me with truth in their naive eyes and I knew I had to get them out before the warehouse was overrun.

“We don't have time to get these people out.” Sam protested, panic in his eyes.

“This is why I don’t walk into traps.” I hissed. “Now you’ve got to get these people out and I have to _fix_ this.”

“You can’t just walk out there!”

I tiled my head to the side and flashed a smile.

“These people don’t mean shit to the tainted. They’re nothing more than a diversion and that’ll exactly what they’ll be. Do you understand? The vamps will _kill_ them all if you don’t go now.”

A whimper from the girl I’d tossed away from me shook Dean out of whatever daze he was in. He took one look at the sorry mess of the victims and nodded. I watched as he took the girl’s hand and led her up the stairs. Sam stayed behind husting the slowest of the lot out the basement.

I dared glance up at him and meet his stare.

“It’s not just vamps out there, is it? There’s something else you’re hunting that you’re not telling us about.”

I grinned and winked.

It wasn’t a question so I didn’t answer. Soon I was alone in the dark cellar, stinking of death. I released a heavy sigh and let my smile slip from my lips. I quickly curled and curled my fists to stop my hands from shaking.

I was never one for showing fear.

 

 


	7. Blood Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> really short chapter I know but it only seemed to go by itself. Hope you guys like it! let me know what you think :)

** Chapter 7- Blood Ties **

 

* * *

 

 

 

It was the smallest things which told me my monster was there. It was the slam of the warehouse doors behind me. It was in the silence which was borne of fear rather than nature.

It was the hollow feeling in my gut that tasted of disappointment.

The shadows passing by me raised the hairs at the back of my neck. I stood still, letting the chill enter my bones and smiled at the ground. A whisper drifted around me. At first it crept up behind me, whispering unrecognisable words into my ears, before swiftly circling me.

The shadows finally formed into shadows. There must have been a dozen, if not more. Perhaps once they had looked human but no longer. In the place of their faces were grotesque scales and grey skin which clung to hollow skins. The creatures had more misshaped bird in their appearance than human. Its webbed wings stretched at least a metre long and were scarred with moss and seaweed.

“It’s said my kind were made from all the evil in the world. They say God collected a box of every human’s nightmare’s and made us from it. They say that God saw that we were too cruel to be in this world so tried to bury us in Hell.” I said. “Are you sure you want to start a fight with me?”

Next thing I knew, there was a knife at my throat. Seconds before the blade could slice open my delicate skin; I instinctually kicked my heels back into my attacker’s groin and twisted the blade out of their hands.

I flipped the blade over in my hand till I had the blade pointed at my attacker’s throat. Without hesitating, I slashed the creature’s throat. Rising from behind its beaten comrade, another screeched and threw itself at me. It was too slow, too slobby, and I easily dodged the attack. I twisted my knife through the back of the creature’s head and shot another one in the chest

I didn’t notice the smile on my face the entire time as I cut down the creatures. Somewhere raw and animalistic flourished inside of me. The excitement pumped in my veins like heroin. It plotted my next movement as if it was a dance I had performed dozens of times before.

With every slice of my blade or pull of the trigger, every doss of pain I inflicted, power swelled inside me. When the last creature collapsed on the floor, a blinding light hit me.

I winced and quickly shielded my eyes. It took me a second to register the two bright lights as car headlights.

“I knew it was you. Everyone said that you were dead but I knew you wasn’t.”

I smiled brightly and scrunched my eyes to try and see the blurred figure stood in front of the car’s headlights.

“You cannot continue this course, my sweet thing.”

His voice hadn’t changed. Still sounded like honey, I mused.

“I think you mean I shouldn’t.” She grinned. “It’s not like I _can’t_. If anything, I’ve proven that I can do anything I want.”

“You’re a traitor to our people. You’re a traitor to me. This is monstrous!”

I bowed dramatically, a smile still toying on my lips.

“That’s just me in a neat little bow.”

“But you can come back! Our people fear you because they’ve only seen your hatred. They see you still as the shadow behind the throne and the assassin at the right hand side of the king. You can show our people that there’s more to us than cruelty and pain. Please, my love, show _me_ that you’ve changed and there is more to you than madness.”

My only response was to burst out laughing. It was a stomach clutching laughter that left me breathless and with tears smudging my make-up.

“Oh, sweetheart! I’m never going to change- are you ever going to realise?”

A loud car horn blasted from behind me. I spun around to see the signature red and blue lights of an ambulance speeding down the road. I didn't doubt that the Impala was behind the ambulance.

The headlights stopped ruining my vision. By the time I blinked away the dancing dots, the car had already started driving in the opposite direction. I watched until they disappeared and I heard Dean’s voice directing the paramedic.

 

“You’re grinning.”

Sam had to repeat it twice before I noticed him. I sat in the backseat of the Impala while the two brothers sat up front. I raised my eyebrows and tried to lessen my massive grin.

“Sorry. I can’t remember the last time I was in time to save vamp’s victims.”

Dean made a sound which was a mixture between a scoff and laughter.

“You’re kidding me right? What was out there? You seemed awfully eager to go out by yourself.”

“It was just a couple of vamps who didn’t know better.” I lied.

Whether or not they believed me, I didn’t care.

All that mattered was that my brother was still alive.

My sweet brother could try and kill me again.

My only brother could die by my blade again.

 

 


	8. Guardians

** Guardians **

 

* * *

 

 

“How about we hit a bar?” I suggested happily.

Dean silently pulled into Bobby’s driveway and immediately got out the car. Sam had to lean over and take the car keys out the engine. I had ignored Sam’s worried glanced in the rear view mirror the entire way home. It was easy when every nerve in my body was on fire. A tingling heat pumped in my blood that I wasn’t sure I could trace back just to my recent fight.

“Do you have something in mind?”

I gently teased my tongue along my bottom lip and smirked at the hunter. “I have a few things in mind.”

His eyes lingered over my lips before roaming over my body.

"Well when you put it like that..."

His flirting trailed off as Sam marched besides us.

The hunger was fierce and hot inside me always but it felt different looking at Dean. It hadn't been long since I had last fed and yet I ached for him. My fingers itched to run along the stumble at the bottom of his chin. Just to touch, to taste, to own… I shook my head. No, I wouldn’t give in to the hunger.

Not again.

Bobby came running out with a frown on his face which made me pause. He stormed across the entire tire yard till he was only a breath away from us.

“What the hell happened?” He demanded. “You made an old man worry sick!”

“Ask Cat. She apparently knows more than all of us combined.” Sam mumbled.

I rolled my eyes dramatically and side stepped past the hunter.

 

I couldn’t sleep that night. When I tried, horrifying nightmares plagued me. I knew I could call out for Dean and he would coming, even if it was just to get into my bed. But I bit down on my lip and resisted it. My phone’s dull light revealed it was 2 am when I finally gave up and tossed away the covers. I planted my feet firmly on the cool wooden floor. The sensation wasn’t enough to calm my racing heart but it was real and, for the moment, that was enough.

I dressed quickly and quietly in my black vest, ripped skinny jeans and tucked into my military boots. The reflection in the dusty mirror had long stopped being my own so I didn’t bother checking. I grabbed my bottle of whiskey from the bedside table and sat, cross-legged, on the bedroom floor.

“Why don’t I feel you near anymore?” I whispered into the darkness.

No one answered.

I knew I shouldn’t try and contact him but the emptiness was too much.

Taking the smooth handle of my bowie knife, I eased the blade across my palm in a smooth swipe. I lifted the bottle to my lips quickly and downed a mouthful of bitter whiskey. It drowned out the sharp pain of the cut fortunately. With my two forefingers and my own blood, I began drawing the same crude symbols she had seen left in the vampires’ warehouse.

“I hate this place.” A voice said in a sing song voice from behind her shoulder. “It smells of trees and cats.”

Without turning around, I pulled his hand to my check and leaned into his touch. For once, he didn’t pull away. He tensed as if he was ready to run. Sometimes I wondered if he thought I was a rabid dog which could turn on him at any moment.

“You were gone for so long.” I whispered.

“Why did you call me here, my Dear Annabella?”

“I need to know what the Elders are saying. Which way does the tide flow?”

He chuckled darkly. “It is a tide, darling. It never stays in one direction for too long. Our people are desperate and desperation does funny things to people. You, of all people, should know this.”

He withdrew his hand and I barely resisted the urge to shoot around and dive into his arms.

“So we’re destined for war.” I sighed as I gulped another shot of whiskey.

“It would seem that way.”

We stayed in silence for a moment. Both of us, enemies in another world but allies in another, knew what war would do. It wouldn’t just stay between our people. The humans would be dragged in and then it wouldn’t be long before the monsters came out. It would be the end of the world- for all of us.

“Your life has taken a turn, has it not? Your parents are dead, your brother has been killing everyone in his path, and you are to blame for all of it. And yet here you stand tall and laugh in the faces of the victims who would hold you accountable.” He leaned forward so I could smell the sea air which always clung to his skin. “I wouldn’t to look across a battlefield and see a monster like you.”

I nodded, eyes trained on the ground.

After a minute, I felt his presence leave. The coldness left in my gut when he drifted away was something I had never adjusted to. No doubt he had risked his life to answer my call. As usual, he was more than willing to drop everything when I called. The relationship between my people and I had always been strained but lately… let’s say things have a way of escalating beyond my control.

Three loud knocks shook through the flooring. I frowned at my phone which still said the time was 2:30 am- definitely not the time for someone to be knocking on the door. I immediately heard Bobby curse his way out of his bedroom and stumble down the stairs. Knowing him, he had a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. I tucked my gun into the back of my jeans and took the stairs two at a time.

The closer I got to the front door, the more my body tingled. My lips tipped into a smile before I knew to fight it.

Bobby shot me a quick look before opening the door.

And there was my nightmare, beautiful and overpowering as always.

He hadn’t changed much since the last time we had met.

He was still the same pale, small boy with blonde hair too long and trembling fingers. His massive biker jacket and dirty jeans hung from his wiry body.

I didn’t have to say introduce the young boy. Before I could demand he leave, Bobby broke out into a massive grin and wrestled him into a bear hug.

“Daniel! What time do you call this? Come on in!”

The boy kept his head down and kept his arms by his side as Bobby embraced him.

“I can’t come unless someone calls me.”

I didn’t acknowledge the young boy as he carefully wiped his boots on the doormat.

“What brings you this way?”

He looked at me and frowned. “I’m here to help you, _inmundus pecus_."

“Don’t call me that.” I snapped. "Only my friends call that."

Bobby narrowed his eyes at me but didn’t say anything. He still had a protective arm around the boy’s shoulders while he nudged for Sam and Dean to stop spying on us from the staircase.

“Who’s this?” Dean grumbled.

“I’m here to help.” The boy repeated.

“I mean have you a got a name, kid?”

“Names… names are there to attach- to ground. I have a lot of names. Only some of them true. A long time ago they gave me a name so they wouldn’t fear me… it’s Ryan.”

The expression on Dean’s face was priceless. I smirked and shrugged at the hunters.

“Ryan here is a Guardian.”

Dean scoffed immediately. “You mean like some sort of guardian angel?”

“Actually far from it.” I replied.

Bobby coughed gruffly and nodded at Ryan who was happily examining the floor.

“Ryan, go make sometime to eat. You must be starved.” I said.

As soon as he was in the kitchen, I lead the hunters over into the living room. I plonked down in the chair, legs dangling over the edge and my arms folded beneath my head.

“Back in the day, Guardians would lead the dead from this world to whatever awaited them.” Bobby started gruffly. “They were sacred protectors of the dead’s humanity, to stop them from becoming restless spirits and all that crap.”

“Great job they’re doing.”

I raised my eyebrow at Dean objecting Bobby’s story just when it was getting interesting.

“They actually were very good at it till the Christians came.” I sighed. “When they brought their foreign gods and non-sense with them, the Guardians were attacked by restless spirits. Most of them were massacred and the few that escaped came to this world. They drift through the world, helping where they can and guiding as many people over as possible. But because of their naive and stupid nature, they’ll only help people who know evil. Hence, why Bobby thinks he shoots sunshine out of his ass.”

“He tries to help!” Bobby defended, stepping closer to me.

Anger flared in my stomach. I clenched my fists and forced a smile.

“He left a 5 year old girl to die because she was _innocent._ She burned to death because she didn’t know the evil killing her.”

“I’m sorry.” Said a meek voice.

I shot around to the doorway. Even after all the years, I had never adjusted to the Guardian’s ability to move silently. He crept into the room, head bowed and innocence on his face, and stopped in front of me.

The hunter impulse in me to move away had to be fought back. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction again.

“I didn’t know how to help then. _There was so much heat_ … _wood splitting, smell of burning flesh not mine… can’t save her in time! Isn’t he the hero? Why isn’t he helping? Save her!_ I’m sorry the girl had to die.”

He spoke as if remembered a story. A story which was detached, meaningless and told from someone else’s perceptive.

In a flash, I was up and in front of him. I punched my finger into his chest and pushed him back.

“Her name was Abagail!” I shouted. “It wasn’t _girl._ ”

“You would have died trying to help her. I’m sorry but I couldn’t let you die.”

"That isn't your call to make!"

He stood so meekly, so innocently. It made me furious. I wanted to reach out and strangle the life out of him just so I could watch the light die from his eyes.

I left the room in a hurry. It wasn’t till I was outside in the cool night air that I calmed enough to realise someone had followed me out. Something heavy and warm landed on my shoulders. It smelt of worn leather and booze.

Dean didn’t say anything. He wrapped his leather jacket around my shoulders and kept his hand on my shoulder. For the first time, I didn’t want to push him away.

“What happened?”

The question was given but I knew I could ignore him and he wouldn’t mind. But the words were spilling out of my mouth before I could stop them.

“I only met her once.  I was on a hunt for a ghost which had been responsible for the death of 15 kids. I thought I had found the ghost so I ignored the girl.” I shook my head. “My stupid pride. I thought it was the ghost of this abusive father who had been hung for killing his daughter. Turns out, the dad had been framed by the mother who had been a serial killer and killed dozens of kids. I found this all out too late. The ghost sets this girl home on fire, Abagail’s home, before I could get there. Ryan was there though. He was there to help _me._ As if I was the one burning! He waved his hands and I was paralyzed. I had to watch as she banged against her bedroom window, screaming for help, till I couldn’t see her through the smoke.”

Dean stayed silent. What do you say to someone who has confessed their pride was responsible for a child’s death?

I turned around and glanced at the guardian running from the house. He stopped besides Dean and met my glare.

“I need to speak to Annabella.” He said in a deadpan voice.

I nodded at Dean, letting him know it was ok. Begrudgingly, he let me go and stepped out of earshot.

“I came to warn you- to help. There are people coming here to hurt you.” He announced. “You probably already know. The tainted are coming to hurt you.”

“What is this?”

He flinched away when he thought I wasn’t looked.

“The tainted went to the higher ones.” He stepped closer to me. “You know them and now they know you- you took their abominations.”

 A gasp left my lips. “How could they know?”

“They’re very mad that you took their abominations.”

I closed my eyes briefly and shook my head.

“Get the hunters out of here. You know what to do.”

Dean came up to me as soon as Daniel left. Without a word, I gave him back his jacket and let the goose bumps rise on my arms.

“You ever feel like you’re fighting a war you can’t ever win?”

“All the time, princess.”

“There are people coming here to kill me. They don’t want you but they’ll kill you all anyway.” I said. “I have a place where we can be safe and, if you’ll stick by me, I can show you how to end the tainted.”

“Does that mean I can still take you out for that drink?”

I don’t know how but he made me smile.

“Sure, Dean. After we take down the murderous cult, we can go out for drinks.”

His smile was even more attractive than his smirk. I smiled back but it didn’t touch my eyes. I could smell the taint still clinging to my skin. It was hard to imagine that Dean couldn’t sense it inside me- slowly eating me alive.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's played dragon age (which I'm obsessed with) I've based Ryan after Cole. Daniel's how I imagine Cole in his basic form without really knowing right from wrong. Let me know what you think even if you're not played dragon age :)) 
> 
> p.s. inmundus pecus- which Ryan calls Cat- means unclean beast

**Author's Note:**

> hey! So this is my first work where I'm thinking of keeping it short and sweet. I love the characters so far and I'd love to hear what you think so you know where I am! Feel free to let me know what you think :)


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